


wive's tale

by startracings



Category: Xenoblade Chronicles
Genre: F/F, Xenoblade Fanworks Exchange, flowers are involved, incredibly soft fluff, so are butterflies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-31
Updated: 2018-05-31
Packaged: 2019-05-16 07:59:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14807402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/startracings/pseuds/startracings
Summary: The flowers around Colony 9 always smelled sweetest in these languid months between spring and summer. The world made new brought with it its own intricacies and changes, but this was a constant. Each day brought new hopes and dreams to the bright eyes of the survivors- and two had run to these fields to steal just a few minutes together. Responsibilities beckoned- but they could afford to be skirted for a little bit longer.





	wive's tale

The flowers around Colony 9 always smelled sweetest in these languid months between spring and summer. The world made new brought with it its own intricacies and changes, but this was a constant. Each day brought new hopes and dreams to the bright eyes of the survivors- and two had run to these fields to steal just a few minutes together. Responsibilities beckoned- but they could afford to be skirted for a little bit longer. 

Or perhaps that was simply what Fiora knew Melia wanted to hear. The High Entian knew just how much responsibility weighed upon both of their shoulders- it was an ever present concern in her regal mind. She could not simply let that go. Her friends, however, were simply determined to make her leave it behind for a bit. As such, she now found herself dragged only half-unwillingly into these sweet golden fields.

Her guide, content with the somewhat secluded spot she had chosen, took one long breath and neatly flopped to the ground. Well, so neat as one could flop. Green eyes were already closed- a content sigh added to the melody of nature. Melia could only wonder as she gentled herself to sit beside her companion, and she turned her wonders aloud.

“How is it you’re so at ease out here? There is still so much-”

She hesitated as Fiora held up a single finger. After a moment, she was about to continue, when Fiora hushed her again. “Listen, Melia. What do you hear?”

A question of greater wisdom than she usually exhibited. Melia could only assume she was echoing some lesson of Dunban’s- and as such, the lesson required her attention. Well. She was nothing if not precise, and so she closed her eyes and listened. A few moments passed with nothing of note reaching her ears. “Nothing in particular, Fiora. Birds, bees, a breeze, but I’m not sure what that matters.”

With a hum, Fiora propped herself up on her hands. “That seems like three things in particular to me! It’s all the quiet sounds of nature, Melia. Don’t have to think about much when you’ve got the birds for company, or the flowers surrounding you. Why, you could just lie right on out and take a nap right here!” With this she winked and leaned back again. “I promise I won’t tell a soul. You’ll be quite safe out here.”

Melia took a small breath and huffed a sigh. There wasn’t much particularly wrong about what Fiora had said, but it was simply not a sentiment she always saw eye-to-eye with. Yet she found herself relenting. After all, this excursion had been Fiora’s idea in the first place, and how ungracious would she seem were she to refuse to comply? Melia slowly made herself as comfortable as she could on the ground and let her eyes drift close.

How funny that was- that she could be comfortable at all out here. Certainly it was warm enough to avoid a chill, but had she thought back even so far as two years, she would never have believed she could be so at ease with the mere thought of lying among the dirt. She wasn’t some dainty princess to be kept in the capital anymore. No, she was an Empress, and one seasoned with a journey across their home land and beyond. She could hardly complain- without said journey, she would not be nearly so ready to handle her new-found responsibilities. Nor would she have met someone so dear as her current company.

As her thoughts drifted to Fiora, Melia couldn’t help but smile a little. She had been quite oblivious to the many ways in which they fit together- a duty to her people, and the implications that one must take upon a man’s company kept her from looking much farther than the occasional affection she had mistaken for love. As time passed and she watched the world progress, however, she had found herself wondering at it more and more. She found no greater joy than when she and the Homs could share time to speak. They had so much in common after all- a great loss, unyielding love for their families, even down to enjoying flowers together. Once Fiora had asked her about the feelings she hadn’t been aware of- well, now they shared every precious moment they could together. Melia could scarcely remember a time she was happier.

A whisper of motion on Melia’s finger caused her to open her eyes. It was much harder than she expected- had she truly dozed off? Indeed, the sun had moved, and she seemed to have curled far more comfortably upon her side. But she did not move from her spot- for a small butterfly had landed ever so lightly upon her hand.

“There’s an old wive’s tale about that, you know.” Fiora’s voice was a whisper, not far from her, just out of arm’s reach. She was watching the small creature with delight as it tickled its way across the delicate hand of the Empress. “If a butterfly lands on you, you’ll have good luck for a few years.”

Melia looked up to meet Fiora’s eyes. Here was someone willing to smile so warmly, treat her to such soft stories, and drag her away from the heavy weight of responsibility. She was someone more than willing to give up some of her own time to entertain what must certainly seem to most as a capricious woman. Yet there was never judgment. There was never criticism. Fiora had a simple joy to her, and it was infectious. Melia found herself smiling even wider as she looked back down at the butterfly.

“Then I’m all the more grateful for today.” With these words, the creature lifted back into flight over the field of flowers. “Thank you, Fiora.”

**Author's Note:**

> For starlilith, who wanted some f/f and some fluff! I'm always more than happy to oblige on either account. Sorry I'm cutting it a bit close!


End file.
